"Mobbed Up" The Re-Write

It has been said that writing is rewriting.

As I eluded to in my last post, the main production force behind Mobbed Up has suggested a rewrite of the script.

A more focused conversation about this revealed that one character in particular would be effected. The male lead of Tommy the hit-man would need to be re-imagined to better fit a particular actor who is a bit younger and of a different heritage than we envision Tommy to be.

Furthermore, it has been suggested that the "new Tommy" be based on an actual person. Once involved, this person could help us in raising financing through his various industry contacts. This is good. We may even be able substantially increase the production budget which means more money to go around and a better-quality final product.

The Tommy character is very well seated into the current storyline, it will take a considerable rewrite to effectively work in a new persona. But my main goal here is to get this movie made. If Mobbed Up can move into production quicker, with budget secured and increased, it's probably a good idea to explore these changes. And that's what I intend to do. I'm beginning immediately on a rewrite to incorporate this new character. He's going to be quite a bit different from the old Tommy but should be fun to write and watch on the screen nonetheless. Oh, and he'll probably be called Jimmy.

This is actually good news for the film. More work without immediate compensation. But good news.

Pushing Ahead

Mobbed Up continues to be what I would characterize as a hot project. It seems to be forging ahead well ahead of any schedule I initially thought.

We're not even six months into development and we've already raised a significant amount of development cash, created a substantial website and gained a great deal of industry attention.

Starline Films has created a "package" for Mobbed Up that is being presented to and requested by many A-listers including actors, directors and producers. Were I to mention names, you would certainly know many of these people. But until there is paperwork signed it would be inappropriate for me to do so.

Starline has a full slate of projects in various states of production. It is fortunate that Mobbed Up has been able to hover near the top of this list. They really do have some exciting things in the works. I am very fortunate to be associated with the talented and very hard working folks at Starline Films. I would be fibbing if I didn't say I want Mobbed Up to pop as fast as possible but I also understand the big picture Starline is looking at. This is a difficult business to plot on a calendar. I'm trying to focus on it all unfolding organically to everyone's benefit.

For my part, I recently took an interview with a local paper and am planning an evening public presentation where I will address the Mobbed Up script, film making and writing in general.

Adaptation

Changes to the script have been discussed based on the interest and availability of several of name actors. I've already begun playing with some changes keeping in mind the actors who have shown interest.

This was not an entirely unexpected development. But it has been interesting to re-focus on the script in a way I hadn't in many months. Since development began in January 2008, I had been very business minded about Mobbed Up, wearing my producer's cap each day hence. It's been interesting to think creatively about the words on paper once again. Also a reminder of the art that lies beneath the numbers.

Still Looking For Investors

We've been raising money at a pretty good clip, with various investors apparently seeing the potential in this film. (Not to mention the recent lack-luster performance of more traditional investments.) But we are still looking for development investors. Search this blog and MobbedUpMovie.com for greater descriptions of development and investing in Mobbed Up. Remember, the opportunity to invest at this level can be ended at any time.

Starline would also like to speak to anyone with access to greater funds for production purposes.

For more information, please use the contact info posted at the website:
http://mobbedupmovie.com/contact.shtml

First Goal Reached

I am happy to announce that our first goal for funding Mobbed Up The Motion Picture has been surpassed! Our initial goal to raise $10,000 for the development of Mobbed Up has been reached.

What's even more encouraging is that we did it in less than 90 days. I want to thank all those who have invested in Mobbed Up and all those who have been holding this project in their good thoughts.

'MOBBED UP' GAINING STEAM
The buzz surrounding Mobbed Up and our production company, Starline Films, is getting greater. Fresh off the heels of winning Best Documentary Short for their film 4CHOSEN: The Documentary at the Garden State Film Festival, Starline Films has become hot in the industry.

Beginning with networking events at the GSFF, Starline has engineered a high level of excitement for their projects, including Mobbed Up. Now networking the Tribeca Film Festival, investors, actors and directors are being contacted about Mobbed Up and many are requesting the script. While it is still too early to mention names here, I am confident there will be announcements to be made in the coming weeks. With initial funds for development secured coupled with the interest of these talented individuals, our confidence in the project is soaring.

I'm learning that when you have a project in development, momentum is everything. Put simply: you ride what's hot. Our producers have been marketing Mobbed Up with great success! Now more than ever, Mobbed Up seems poised to be a big impact project with an A-List cast and crew.

Stay tuned...

Starline Shines at Garden State Film Festival

I was a privileged guest at opening night of the Garden State Film Festival on Thursday, April 3rd as Montel Williams and Starline Films hosted a Special Red Carpet Premiere of 4CHOSEN: The Documentary (produced and directed by Starline's Jon Doscher) at the Paramount Theater in Asbury Park, NJ.

It was a fun and exciting evening with special guests such as Montel Williams, Vincent Pastore, Randy Jones, Chuck Zito and Ricky Aiello. The crowd was treated to a special singing performance by Danny Aiello prior to the screening of 4CHOSEN: The Documentary.

Following the film was a special reception with musical performance by Brian Kirk and the Jirks.

It was a first class evening solidifying Starline Films' rising reputation. Starline certainly has some exciting projects in the works. I'm very proud that Mobbed Up is a part of their plans. Bravo!

More Photos From the GSFF.

Film Festival Photos

Montel Williams, narrator of 4CHOSEN: The Documentary,
arrives on the red carpet beside Diane Raver, GS Film Festival Executive Director.

Jon Doscher of Starline Films, Diane Raver
and Oscar-nominated actor, Danny Aiello.

Original Village People member and
cast member of The Gentleman, Randy Jones.

MobbedUpMovie.com Website Online

It is with great pride that I announce the arrival of MoobedUpMovie.com -- The Official Website of the Motion Picture Mobbed Up.

The website will serve many purposes for us. We hope it will entertain and inform. This will go a long way to create the all-important "buzz" surrounding the film.

I've tried very hard to set the tone of the film here. Using concept photos and character descriptions should help everyone to better visualize the atmosphere.

There is also a collection of mini-banners for our supporters to show their Mobbed Up stripes. I hope you will all visit the website, please share with me any thoughts you might have by posting a comment to this board below.

BTW-I've had several people ask about the models I've introduced as "actors" in Mobbed Up's various recent media. These people were harvested from among thousands of stock photos I sorted through. I think there are some great characterizations being played out through these photos. I am very happy with the results.

Marketing the Mob

The gases expelled from developing a film contain an aroma of "Catch 22". You can't raise money until you have attachments and you can't get attachments until you raise money. Therefore, the film development process is greatly helped along by some savvy marketing.

BUSINESS PLAN
A first step in marketing is the creation of a Business Plan. I'm happy to say this step is now complete. I worked with Starline to develop this 24-page document and it was interesting reading to say the least.

Besides the projection figures which have a first-time writer salivating, there is an impressive outline of Starline's plan of attack to get Mobbed Up fully financed and gain top attachments.

I encourage anyone interested in investing in Mobbed Up to read it. The Business Plan is considered confidential so anyone interested should reach out to Kevin Leckner of Starline Films.

MOVIE POSTER
I've made my living as a graphic and web designer for over a decade so the opportunity to develop a movie poster for my own film was not taken lightly. View the Mobbed Up movie poster.

I think it looks pretty professional and probably could hang in a lobby today. Of course all the impressive bottom credits are missing.

Looking at the poster, I get the sense that the film is "real". That's the point isn't it? The poster should convey a sense of what the movie is about and the feelings it stirs within. It will hopefully have this positive effect on those actors, director and investors we hope to impress.

I may make a couple more alternate poster designs and similar designs for other uses are also forthcoming.

WEBSITE
Again, I'm calling into service my creative visual skills and experience. MobbedUpMovie.com is registered and online in Under Construction form. In the coming weeks it will be outfitted for a Flash animation, News, Links, Photos and lots more.

Websites are becoming increasingly vital in both the box-office success and the production "buzz" prior to release. Most films that make it to the theater don't have a substantial website until the distributor gets around to it. It is my intent to get MobbedUpMovie.com online in such a fashion as to attract the attention of movie-goers, investors and top talent. It will often be used as our point of contact so it must be all that it can be.

I'll of course post updates when the website is on its feet.

Hopefully it is clear that we producing Mobbed Up are making some unique efforts here. I think there's a definite advantage to having someone with an extensive graphics background on board to try to communicate our ideas visually. If it so happens that person also writes the script--all the easier it will be.

--- --- ---
I also want to extend congratulations to Starline Films for having their film 4CHOSEN: The Documentary accepted into the Garden State Film Festival. Good luck!

Update: Raising Investor Money

Early efforts to raise some needed funds to develop Mobbed Up are going well.

I want to thank everyone who has expressed an interest in investing in Mobbed Up. Your faith means a lot to me and Starline Films. We look forward to our relationship and to the successful return of your investment.

I realize not everyone has the means to invest at this time. Your good wishes are not going unrecognized and will go a long way toward our success.

Investment opportunities still remain. Please contact Kevin Leckner of Starline Films for more info.

The official Mobbed Up website has been registered.
http://www.mobbedupmovie.com
This site will be online soon!

Ask a Question

Have a question about Mobbed Up?

If you have a question about Mobbed Up, this film-making process, investing in Mobbed Up, screenwriting or what else I might be up to, please leave it here.

Your question will be viewable for all to see and I'll respond to as many as I can through the Respond link.

Click Here to Ask a Question

What is "development" anyway?

The best case scenario for some screenwriters is to sell his sweat-soaked script to a big studio for gobs of cash. If you're a screenwriter, you know how difficult it is to get through Hollywood's front door. And the still-active WGA strike has pretty much closed off all side doors for now also.

Enter independent film making. Starline Films loves my script and has pledged to help me raise a development budget. The production budget has not yet been determined, but is expected to be between $1-5 million dollars. While the development budget is included in that, development is a separate process that precedes full production when the director yells "action!"

Development is really the pre-production process. Steps taken to package the movie in such a way as to attract the bigger money and gain distribution.

We're going to need about $80-100k to develop Mobbed Up. What is this money used for? I wanted to know too. Here's what I found out:

• Talent
  Name actors, while not essential, certainly help any film to have greater appeal to both investors and audiences. While it is too early for me to mention names here, Starline definitely has direct contacts to much of the talent needed to make Mobbed Up successful. This also includes attaching a name director. Money here is spent on issuing deposits to these talented people to show we're serious and to book production into their schedules. This can be a significant portion of the budget.
  
• Trailer/Short Film
  Often a log line doesn't do enough to attract the money. So a trailer (similar to what you may see in the theater before a film) or a short film (a visual synopsis of the story about 15 minutes in length) can help get the creativity across. These would usually be shot with local actors whether name actors have signed on or not.
• Story Development
  If any enhancements or rewrites to the script need to be made, they are often taken care of in pre-production. This would often mean bringing in another writer to handle such edits. Bringing in a name writer can also be a good attachment and add more credence in the mind of investors. In the case of Mobbed Up, Starline feels (and I certainly agree) that my script is very near to shooting quality so this a road we probably won't need to go down, saving some money in the process.
• Securing Locations
  Wanna make a movie--you need to shoot it somewhere. Many locations require a deposit or donation. Locations are a cost that can significantly increase the full production budget due to the costs of changing locations, travel etc. We are again fortunate that Mobbed Up could conceivably be shot entirely on one boardwalk.

Clearly, a lot needs to be done and it is going to cost real money. But people who know are confident Mobbed Up will attract top actors. Even some I was considering as I was writing the script. Attaching top talent goes a long way to get your film the attention it needs during pre-production and ultimately its showing at the box office (or off the DVD shelves).

In coming days/weeks I'll share further thoughts on the development process and keep you informed as to what's going on. After all, that's the point of this blog isn't it?

By the way, if you're interested in investing in Mobbed Up, please contact Kevin Leckner at Starline Films.

About "Mobbed Up"

"Mobbed Up" is a comedy screenplay written by New Jersey writer Mark Violi. Mark recently signed an agreement with Starline Films to develop the film. Investment opportunities are available.

Log Line:
Financial straits force brother and sister owners of a beachside ice cream parlor to rent their backroom to the local Mafia for a gambling parlor.

Genre: Comedy Feature

Length: 114 pages

Expected MPAA Rating: PG-13

Short Synopsis:
With their parents gone, no cash and bills mounting against their unproven Jersey Shore ice cream shop, Jeanie and her older brother Ethan must make adult decisions about their immediate future. In an effort raise some quick cash for Jeanie’s Ivy League education, Ethan brokers a deal with Frank and Dean, two equally desperate Philadelphia mobsters. Jeanie first balks at the idea of an illegal gambling hall in her back room, but eventually capitulates when she realizes the potential profit could save the business and send her to Princeton.

The mob crew arrives and quickly turns a quiet family business into a disorderly mobster haven, much to the delight of Ethan who is sure this new arrangement will get him more girls. Jeanie meets Tommy the hit man and is initially turned off by his barbaric ways. The mob’s silent boss Gino, pressures Frank and Dean into recovering a large sum of cash they have misplaced. As the city mob crew adapts to beach life, their raucous parties and outrageous behavior give Jeanie increasing doubt about this arrangement. But her regrets are met with sharp refusal by the crew who have made themselves quite at home. A nosey neighbor, Mrs. Rostmeiwicz lurks amid the chaos and has the police hot on their heels. This leads to several close calls and quick side-stepping. Jeanie’s only solace comes in her late night talks with Tommy who turns out to be more than the hood Jeanie initially took him for.

While Ethan plans his future as a wiseguy, Jeanie’s growing relationship with Tommy encourages her to face an uncertain future. But when the police finally do discover the illegal gambling hall, troubling truths are brought to light leaving Jeanie to revaluate all that has happened; prompting her to discover the truth in her own life.

With a strong female protagonist, a heartfelt storyline and a side-splitting ensemble, Mobbed Up is anything but your typical gangster flick and should appeal to a wide audience.

"Mobbed Up" is WGA Registered #1081082.

"Mobbed Up" Investment Information

Ever want to invest in a feature film?
Now is your chance.






Starline Films has agreed to develop "Mobbed Up", this takes money so investment opportunities exist.

How do I go about investing in "Mobbed Up"?
First, familiarize yourself with the story. Our About page contains just about everything you'd need to know about the script.

After reviewing, if you think this film has a great chance of success (and we certainly do) it would probably be a good idea to invest some cash in it, no?

Please contact Kevin Leckner at Starline Films to request the script, arrange for investing or to learn more. He would be happy to speak to you about this exciting opportunity.

One of the reasons this blog exists is to keep investors updated on the development & production progress, keeping the production/investor relationship as transparent as possible. So check http://mobbedup.blogspot.com often for updates.

Check this page for updated investor info in the future.

Mobbed Up Now in Development

I've just sent a signed agreement to Starline Films retaining them to develop and package my Mobbed Up script.